Private chef & retreats

Private Chef & Retreats

I combine years of professional cooking with nutritional knowledge to create thoughtful, balanced menus. Generous, seasonal food that happens to be good for you, from dinners at home to full-board wellness retreats.

Tell me about your event and I’ll reply within two working days.

Overhead view of a long table set for eight with grain bowls and summer rolls — Supper for eight

Saffron rice and dhal served family-style — Family-style feast

Services

What I cook for

Private dinners

Intimate dinners at home, cooked and served at your table.

Dinner parties

Sharing menus for celebrations, from canapés to family-style feasts.

High-end private dining

Multi-course tasting menus with wine or low-alcohol pairings.

Wellness retreats

Full-board retreat catering, balanced and planned around your programme.

Nutrition-focused meal prep

Weekly meals tailored to your goals, cooked in your kitchen.

Corporate & wellness events

Lunches, workshops and team events with food that sustains focus.

Retreat catering

Menus for yoga, fitness and wellbeing retreats in the UK and abroad.

Dietary requirements

Gluten-free, plant-based, allergen-aware and personalised menus.

Nutrition-focused menus

Menus built around your goals

Each menu is designed around a nutritional focus, from heart health to high protein. Menus can be adapted for allergies, preferences and the occasion.

Heart support

1-Week Menu

This menu is built around fibre-rich whole foods, omega-3s, healthy fats and colourful vegetables. Featuring oily fish, legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds and antioxidant-rich produce, each dish is designed to nourish and support cardiovascular health.

Lunch

Grilled Asparagus with Lemon & Olive OilRocket, new potatoes, toasted almonds
Beetroot & Walnut SaladRocket, goat’s cheese, balsamic
Seared Tuna with AvocadoPea shoots, herbs and citrus
Roasted Red Pepper, Bulgur Wheat & Feta Salad
Smoked Mackerel PâtéRye toast, pickled cucumber
Edamame, Marinated Tofu & Seaweed SaladSesame dressing
Hot Smoked Salmon Rice BowlKimchi, broccoli, bean sprouts, spiced corn

Soups

Lentil & Vegetable SoupCumin, turmeric
Tomato & Roasted Garlic SoupBasil oil
Butternut Squash & Ginger SoupCoconut milk
Oat & Mushroom SoupThyme
Beetroot & Carrot SoupDill, crème fraîche
Split Pea & Vegetable SoupSmoked paprika
Watercress & Potato SoupLight cream

Mains

Baked SalmonSteamed greens, quinoa and herb pilaf
Grilled Chicken BreastRoasted vegetables, olive oil dressing
Seared MackerelBraised fennel, lemon
Lentil & Vegetable Dahl (v)Brown rice
Baked TroutRoasted beetroot
Grilled Tofu & Vegetable Stir-Fry (v)Sesame, ginger, tamari
Turkey & White Bean ChilliBrown rice

Dessert

Dark Chocolate & Berry Compote
Baked ApplesCinnamon and walnuts
Chia Seed PuddingMixed berries
Poached Pears in Red WineOrange zest
Oat & Almond CrumbleStewed plums
Dark Chocolate & Avocado MousseRaspberries
Citrus & Pomegranate SaladMint

Event menus

A taste of the table

Enquire About Private Chef Services

Retreats

Nourishing food for wellness retreats

Retreat catering by a chef and nutritional therapist. Diverse, gut-friendly, seasonal food that leaves your guests feeling nourished, energised and looked after, with house ferments and kombucha pairings at every meal.

Enquire about your retreat

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On retreat · Tasting supper

The experience

Tasting with your eyes closed

A blindfolded tasting supper is one of my favourite moments on retreat. Without sight, guests slow right down and notice aroma, texture and flavour in a way they rarely do at the table.

Mindful eatingEating slowly and paying attention to each mouthful.
Guess the plateSeasonal, gut-friendly dishes to identify by taste alone.
Kombucha pairingHouse-brewed kombucha poured alongside every course.

Add it to your retreat

The retreat

Food that is part of the experience

A retreat is a chance to slow down, reset and reconnect, and the food should support that. I cook for yoga, wellness, fitness and mindfulness retreats in the UK and abroad, working with hosts to design menus that fit the rhythm of each day.

Meals are shared, abundant and made from scratch. Guests leave with full stomachs, new flavours and simple ideas to take home, from how to make a quick kimchi to building a balanced bowl.

Add details of retreats you’ve cooked for, locations and group sizes.

My cooking style

Diverse, gut-friendly, deeply nourishing

Chef-led flavour meets evidence-informed nutrition.

Diverse, plant-rich plates

Every day is built around variety: vegetables, whole grains, beans, herbs, nuts and seeds. Research links a wider range of plant foods with a more diverse gut microbiome, so I aim for 30+ different plants across a retreat.

Gut-friendly and fermented

House ferments at every meal: kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir, miso and natto. Fermented foods add live cultures, depth of flavour and a little theatre to the table.

Nourishing, not restrictive

Generous, satisfying food with plenty of protein, fibre and healthy fats, so guests feel energised for yoga, hikes and workshops, never hungry or deprived.

Seasonal and local

Menus follow the season and the local producers, markets and growers near your venue. Fresh ingredients, cooked simply and beautifully.

Whole-food ingredients

Olive oil, oily fish, colourful vegetables, herbs and spices like ginger and turmeric. Little ultra-processed food, and no fad ingredients.

Every dietary need

Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free and allergy-aware menus, planned in advance so every guest eats the same beautiful food.

Kombucha pairing

A pairing menu without the alcohol

Instead of wine, each dinner can be paired with house-brewed kombucha: lightly sparkling, fermented tea flavoured with fruit, herbs and spices. It’s a celebratory, alcohol-free way to share a meal, and a talking point at every table.

Ginger & lemon kombucha with miso-glazed salmon or tofu
Hibiscus & rose kombucha with beetroot, walnut and goat’s cheese salad
Green tea & mint kombucha with Thai-style grain bowls
Turmeric & black pepper kombucha with dhal tadka and saffron rice
Berry & basil kombucha with dark chocolate and berry desserts

Kombucha contains small amounts of caffeine and naturally occurring alcohol (usually under 0.5%). Water kefir and sparkling infusions are available on request.

A day on retreat

Sample menu

Wake-up
A warm welcome to the day: fresh ginger, lemon and turmeric infusion, or a mug of spiced cacao, sipped slowly before morning practice
Brunch
A long, generous table after practice: herby shakshuka or crispy tofu scramble, warm sourdough and seeded bread, smashed avocado with lime and chilli, house kimchi and sauerkraut, a bowl of kefir with toasted seeds, honey and seasonal fruit, and a fresh green salad
Afternoon
Something to graze on between sessions: seed crackers, beetroot hummus and crunchy crudités, dark chocolate and nuts, and a glass of house-brewed kombucha
Dinner
Ayurvedic-style warming dhal, gently spiced with turmeric, cumin and ginger, alongside a fragrant oyster mushroom biryani, served with a tangy fermented mango and tomato chutney, cooling cucumber raita and fresh herbs · to finish, cardamom poached pears with coconut yoghurt

Book a private chef or retreat

Tell me about your event

Share a few details and I’ll come back to you with availability, menu ideas and a quote.

Enquiries go to alexander@doignutrition.com